​Playoff playbook: Hosting 7 days of ‘the ultimate’ college football celebration

Greetings again from Phoenix, currently the center of the college football universe.

This is the third in a series of guest blog posts from a Tampa Bay delegation in observation mode. In under a year, Tampa Bay gets to host the College Football Playoff National Championship. We’re looking closely at best practices at presenting what is now “a weeklong celebration of college football.”

This is our favorite description of the College Football Playoff National Championship. It succinctly illustrates that the event goes far beyond one football game through a series of special events over the course of a jam-packed week.

The man that came up with that quote is a familiar face to Tampa, the College Football Playoff’s COO, Michael Kelly. “Team Tampa Bayers” may remember Michael from his days running the local host committee for Tampa Bay’s 1999 NCAA Men’s Final Four and the Super Bowl in 2001.

We got a chance to catch up with Michael at a future host meeting and stadium tour on Saturday.

"We like the way Downtown Tampa, the Riverwalk and the event venues set-up for our events. It will be great to be back in Tampa working with the team there to create lasting memories for all involved,” he told us.

A preview of what’s coming

Here are some of the highlights of just a few of the events we have been studying in Arizona:

• Playoff Fan Central: This interactive event allows fans to do everything from testing their quarterbacking skills to meeting their favorite college football legends. Just as it is in Phoenix, we anticipate our Tampa Convention Center will be home to this event.

• AT&T Playoff Playlist Live: Three straight nights of free concerts featuring acts such as John Mellencamp, The Band Perry, Ciara and more. Here in Phoenix, this is taking place right in the heart of downtown, which is what we’re planning in terms of location in 2017 as well.

• Extra Yard for Teachers 5K: A run we saw in downtown Phoenix this morning that helps fund the College Football Playoff’s (amazing) Extra Yard for Teacher initiative.

• Taste of the Championship: Renown chefs from several cities across the country come together to showcase their skills for an event that helps raise funds for local food banks. Another great example of how the title game will impact our community.

• Championship Tailgate: A huge pregame festival that is free to ticket holders, which includes a featured performance by Eric Church. This takes place right outside the stadium in Phoenix, which will also be the case at Raymond James Stadium next season.

In our first post, we shared observations about our first impressions on arrival in Phoenix.

Tomorrow, in our final guest post, we take a look at the media and promotional opportunities for our community around the event. Are you also in Phoenix for the big game and see something you think we need to look at for next year? Tweet me @RHiggins_TBSC or use #TampaBay2017